Lift Off !!

Each evening, since January 26th, we've sat bundled up on deck as the horizon all round turns the beautiful hues of pink and mauve, awaiting a launch from Cape Canaveral.

On Monday, January 31st we were rewarded with a perfect view to the launch of a space X Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral.  We read that it was carrying a CSG 2 radar surveillance satellite for the Italian Space Agency.  It was originally scheduled to launch on Thursday, January 27th but that launch was "scrubbed". 

It has been scheduled to launch (between 6:11 p.m. and 6:22 p.m.) each night since then.  After being "scrubbed" for the past 4 nights we were thrilled to see it finally get in the air.  

It was amazing to watch it go up and then see the rocket drop away, fire it's boosters to slow itself down and return itself to the launch platform while the satellite sped away.  

Tomorrow another Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to launch carrying 49 Starlink Internet Satellites. 

We'll keep our eyes to the sky.

Warnings, warnings, warnings

 Gale warning....small craft advisory....wind chill advisory....very rough ICW....wide spread hard freeze....cold warning.....right whale sighting warning....NASA security zone warning

We grow weary hearing the warnings being broadcast on our VHF radio from NOAA's weather channel.

We set out for our day's travel with an eye to finding shelter from the upcoming forecast of sustained N/W winds of 20-25 mph with gusts up to 45 mph.  

It was with great delight we found ourselves in the very snug anchorage at Eau Gallie (rocky water) M914 ICW (off Indian River).  We dropped anchor in 11' of water amidst the many "liveaboards" and rowing skulls to await the forecasted wind and cold weather event.  

As forecast, the night was cold with gusty winds but in the morning we found Sea Star had held tight.

Luckily we didn't read up on the Eau Gallie anchorage in our Waterways guide book until the next morning as they advise against anchoring here ...... poor holding.....oh?

As dark set in we marvelled at the white ibis that came in for the night to roost in the trees edging the anchorage.  

Photo shows ibis birds roosting in the trees in the background as well as "Let's Go Brandon" sign.

The local boat anchored beside us has the "Let's Go Brandon" flag flying.  We've seen this flag several times along the way.  We're glad we googled what it meant and didn't ask the owner.  Want a shock?  Google it!  The Wikipedia description bluntly sums it up.

Unfortunately we're in for 2 more cold nights (record cold expected tonight) but the forecast is for temperatures in the low 70's by Tuesday.  We'll look forward to it.

Kennedy Space Center

Our travels on Jan. 27th took us past the Kennedy Space Center.  We continue to hear broadcasts on the V.H.F. radio from the U.S. Coast Guard.  They are advising mariners to stay clear of a security zone that's in effect awaiting the launch of a Space X Falcon 9 rocket carrying the CSG 2 radar surveillance satellite for the Italian Space Agency. 

The rocket booster will be retrieved after it drops into the ocean security zone. 

We continue to watch the sky during the "window to launch" time each day (6:11 p.m. - 6:22 p.m.) but alas the launch was "scrubbed" January 26th and January 27th ..... possibly tonight?  We'll keep watch.

Anchorage with a view

 Fort Matanzas Inlet - January 20, 2022

In 70 degree sunshine we got our first view of the Atlantic Ocean as we dropped anchor in the Fort Matanzas Inlet ..... 15 miles south of St. Augustine. 

We enjoyed an interesting stroll along the white sand beach while exploring the many shells and tidal pools in the inlet.  

We spotted 2 baby rays who were caught in a pool awaiting their escape when the tide came back in.

The forecast of breezy weather, yet again, (N15-20 gusting 30) had us hunkering down beside the inlet's north shore.....across from the fort.  

Barry hauled the dinghy up on deck to do some glue repairs as most of the attachments have let go.  Time to test out 3 M's 5200 adhesive.  

Gale & Freezing Temps - Sisters Creek & St. Augustine, Florida

 

We spent the Martin Luther King long week-end (Jan. 15 - 18) tied to the free public dock (Jim King Park) at Sisters Creek.  Gale force winds and record low temperatures accosted us for 3 days.  January 17th Jacksonville marked their coldest day on record ... 29 degrees F.  As well that day the all-time record wind speed in January was recorded for sustained winds - out of the Southwest 38 mph and wind gust 59 mph.  We were grateful to be on the dock.  It was a wild ride with the current and wind tossing us around.  

We set out at first light on January 19th to head across the St. John River on route to St. Augustine.  As we entered the river we quickly realized the fog coming in from the ocean was too thick for us to see the freighter traffic.  We waited for the fog to clear ..... good thing as we ended up dancing around a container ship to reach the other side. 

Enticed by the thought of a hot shower, we took a mooring ball in St. Augustine's municipal marina.  We donned our masks and beat a direct path to the showers.  We were horrified by the crowds of tourists on the waterfront.  We were the only ones wearing masks.  

At night, the whole bridge and every shop on the waterfront was aglow with lights.  There were even lighted tour boats circling the harbour.  We felt more like we were in an amusement park than America's oldest city.  

An Invitation to a Gale

A forecast for future gale force S/W winds had us moving along in search of a sheltered anchorage. 

The red sky in the morning, as well as the clouds during the day foretold of the weather that lay ahead. 

Our plan was to anchor in the Fort George River and shelter behind the George R. Kingsley Plantation (M735).....a location we'd visited before.  We arrived 1 hour before low tide (5') and try as we may we couldn't find enough water to carry us in. 

We moved on to the next option which was the Sister Creek anchorage - just above the St. John's River Inlet (Jacksonville).  The coast guard was advising of a whale sighting in that location.  While preparing to anchor we noticed a dock on the west side of the Intercoastal Waterway.  A quick check of our guide books told us it was a free, public dock .... 72 hour maximum stay.  

We were very grateful to securely tie on (2nd boat in) and weather the storm there.  

The rain and wind picked up through the night.

On Sunday, Jan. 16th a weather alert was being broadcast on the VHF radio.....gale warning, very rough on the intercoastal waters, 100% chance of showers in the morning.   Winds in the morning S/W 25-40 mph, afternoon W 20-25 gusting 45 mph.

Monday - Winds W 15-20 mph Gusting 30, Monday night - patchy frost  - Wind N/W 10-15 mph

How Green is my C & C

We left Sea Star "on the hard" at Tiger Point marina (Fernandina Beach, Amelia Island, Florida) due to the pandemic in March 2020. 

Almost 2 years later finds we are both fully vaccinated plus the booster shot while the omicron variant is raging in Ontario but even more so in Florida.

We made the difficult decision to take the risk of getting to the boat in Florida and launching. 

The drive from London to the Georgia/Florida border took us 31 hours.  To make it completely contactless we stopped twice to nap in rest areas along the way. 

We found Sea Star to be in pretty tough shape.....to say the least, she was green!!

Barry made repairs (2 new batteries, replaced the sea water pump on the engine) and prepared the boat to launch (fresh water, propane, diesel fuel).  

In an attempt to have no contact, I placed 2 online orders at Publix through instacart for provisions.  They were delivered within hours right to our dock.

Sea Star "splashed" on January 6th, 2022 but she was far from seaworthy.  We took a slip at the marina for one night then headed to an anchorage about a mile away where we spent nearly a week cleaning and making repairs. 

We find the air traffic is so busy in this area, the sunset has to compete for our attention with the vapour trails. 

We delight in the great number of dolphin sightings, as well as seabirds and pelicans....especially the magnificent American White Pelican.  

Through the magic of unlimited data on our U.S. phone plus our wind generator and solar panel we were able to join the London Power and Sail Squadron for their January bridge meeting.  It was great to "see" everyone.  

We had expected the weather to be warmer than it is.....day time highs in the 50s/low 60s.....nightly lows near freezing.  We're thankful for the kerosene heater to warm the cabin in the morning. 

In memory of Kevin Heslop

In the spring of 2020 we were immensely saddened by the passing of our good friend and fellow boater, Kevin Heslop. 

We can feel Kevin's spirit travelling with us as the passage we're on was part of his dream.  

We salute Kevin as we know he did everything in his power to live that dream. 

We raise a glass to you Kevin for your help along the way.  Thanks so very much for your friendship.  May your spirit be forever free. 

Cheers!

Safely Home

As we've been making our way south we've listened on the radio as the number of cases of Covid-19 escalated in the U.S.
While on the water we felt quite safe ..... at arm's length from the problem, so to speak but we knew eventually we'd have to attempt to make our way by car through the hot-zones to get home.
For the past while we've been attempting to find a boat yard where we could get the boat hauled out to store and co-ordinate a car rental.  Much to our dismay we found some of the yards were already full and many of the car rental agencies had closed, as had the restaurants and hotels.
We finally had luck at Tiger Point Marina, Fernandina Beach, Amelia Island, Florida.
Enterprise car rental agency agreed to deliver a car to the dock there.
On March 31st at high tide, slack water, Sea Star was lifted out of Egan's Creek.
Barry rode back with the "Enterprise" employee as she returned to her office.  She told him she had been required to show her work documentation that day to justify to the Police Officers at the Georgia/Florida border her "movement on the road" was job related.  She also told Barry he was the first person she'd transported who had worn a mask and gloves.
We sterilized the rental car, loaded it with our luggage and the boat gear that was going home and left Florida at 5:00 p.m.  We napped in 2 rest areas and ate only the cereal I'd brought with us from the boat.
It took 18 hours to make our way from Florida's 90 F (33C) degree temperature to our car we'd left behind in Virginia.  When we arrived at our initial departure point in Virginia (Reedville) it was 39 F (4C) degrees ..... exactly the same high temperature as the day we'd left 5 weeks before.  Good thing we left when we did and didn't hold out waiting for spring.
We returned the rental car to downtown Richmond at mid-day.  We were shocked to find it was a ghost town.
We arrived at the Canadian border, Fort Erie at 11:20 p.m. on April 1st and cleared in to Canada.  We were the only car in the area.  There was 1 lane open .... it was "manned" by an elderly, kindly gentleman (no mask).  He told us we were to go straight home and to stay there for 2 weeks.  We were to make no stops along the way.  He said if we were "caught" outside of our home in the next 2 weeks we would be subject to a 1 Million dollar fine and 3 years in jail.
33 hours after we left our boat in Florida, we arrived home ..... totally, completely exhausted but so very glad to be safely home.

Tiger Point Marina and Boat Works - Fernandina Beach, Amelia Island, Florida

Bridges - 44 and counting

On the Intercoastal Waterway between Mile 1 in Virginia and Key West in Florida there are a total of 191 bridges of assorted design:  bascule, float, swing, train, lift and free standing. 
During our travels from Mile 1 in Virginia to the Georgia/Florida border we've passed through 44 bridges.  Florida, between the Georgia border and Key West has a total of 147 bridges. Some of them we simply float under while others we need to contact the bridge operator on the VHF radio and ask for an opening.  We've waited up to an hour at times, but most open more frequently or on request.
Some of the bridges are doubled....one for traffic, one for trains. 

Sounds Abound

Sound:  Wikipedia: A sound is a large sea or ocean inlet, deeper than a bight and wider than a fjord; or a narrow sea or ocean channel between two bodies of land.

On March 28th we passed through Doboy Sound, St. Catherine's Sound and Sapelo Sound.  The next day we passed through Altamaha Sound, St. Simons Sound and St. Andrew's Sound.
As we made our way through Cumberland Sound to Amelia Island we were approached by the Coast Guard.  They insisted we make haste to clear the area as a warship was coming in from the sea.  We did what we could and mustered a whopping 4.2 knots.  Two massive Navy ships came out to guard the channel.  A submarine came in as well.
We "hastily" motored on past the Navy's degausser.....a strange looking "garage" in the water that's used to neutralize a ship's magnetic field. 
Our passage through the sounds is ever exciting.  Our resource information points out areas in each sound for fishing.....including for sharks should we wish to try our luck.
We found sounds and inlets were places of gorgeous beaches.  Most were punctuated with a beautiful lighthouse.  We've promised ourselves we'll return someday to explore the beaches of Jekyl Island and especially Little Cumberland Island.  We were truly enamored by their beauty.
We had a great ride surfing with the tidal flow out into the Atlantic Ocean at St. Andrew's Sound but were dreading the long slog that lay ahead against the tidal current up the Cumberland River.  Much to our delight we were able to put the head sail up and sail all the way to our anchorage that night in Delaroche Creek, off the Cumberland Dividings.

Georgia

The portion of Georgia that we see along the Intercoastal Waterway is winding rivers through marshland and sounds (inlets).....not too much else.
On March 27th we passed our first manatee habitat warning sign as we coasted into Georgia.
While motoring along a small winding stream on our approach to Savannah we were surprised to come "face to face" with a Cosco container ship.
As our view is mostly across low marshland the large ship appeared to be approaching on the stream but it was actually on the nearby Savannah River. 

Unfortunately on the afternoon of March 29th we found ourselves aground....stuck in the mud! at M684 ICW, just north of the bridge at Jekyl Island.  Even more unfortunate, we had 5 feet of tidal water UNDER us and it was FALLING!
Barry did a stellar job of getting us free (sadly he's had plenty of practice).  He put the head sail up to try and list us over to move forward.  He was just in the process of hoisting the mainsail when 2 power boats happened by.  Barry asked them if they'd put up a large wake which they did and it was enough to bounce us out.  Yeah! Thanks guys, free again.
Georgia is currently experiencing record high temperatures.  The highs are in the low 90s F (30s C)....very comfortable boating weather.